Article • Dean Baker’s Beat the Press
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That could have been the headline of a Washington Post article reporting the results of a new poll on public support for subsidies alternative energy. The poll found that a large majority (68 percent) of those asked favored federal support for the development of alternative energy. It found that even 53 percent of Republicans supported funding for alternative energy.
These numbers are down from past polls, but this result would hardly be surprising given the attention that the media has given the Solyndra bankruptcy. While it would have been reasonable to highlight the fact that alternative energy continues to enjoy strong support across the political spectrum, the Post headline was instead:
“Poll finds fewer back U.S. aid for alternative energy.”